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When your wife does something annoying, do you react or respond?
Reaction is about emotion. We react when we’re moved by things such as fear, pride, and jealousy. Reactions can come from parts of our past we haven’t dealt with. Reactions are strong, even violent, and can easily get away from us. Reactions may get us what we want in the moment, but long term they don’t serve us well.
Response comes from our rational mind. It’s thinking, reasoned, and calm. Responses can be based on wisdom, understanding, grace, and love. Responding builds relationships, putting us in a better place with our wife.
You and you alone decide if you respond or react. However, both are habits, and deciding to move from a habit of reaction to a habit of responding will take hard work. At first, you’ll slip up when you’re tired or stressed. Keep at it; you’ll get better and better at responding even in the worst of situations.
Responding is the mature way to deal with things. It’s also the powerful way of dealing with things; those who respond are never at the mercy of those who react. Additionally, those who react are more easily manipulated than those who refuse to react.
[This post first appeared June 22, 2012.]
Image Credit: © Stuart Miles | freedigitalphotos.net
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Just beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!